Passing the Reins (2025)

"The Royal Family" is an epic drama of dreams, hope, and legacy about horse racing and the people dedicated to the sport. This drama is crafted so intentionally to center the horses and the beauty of the sport through top-notch cinematography and grand storytelling. The cast obviously is a who's who of talented actors with Tsumabuki Satoshi and Sato Koichi really setting the tone with their characters' relationship and growth. No character is wasted in this story - everyone is vital, critical, and adds to a narrative that grabs the audience and really doesn't let go. Though I'm not at all a fan of the sport, watching this drama felt like watching a love letter to horse racing and my emotions were completely swept up into it all. I sobbed after nearly every horse race, the anticipation and adrenaline running through me thanks to the superb acting that brought each race to life. As with dramas like this one, a story of team perseverance always becomes a story about chosen family brought together by a shared goal and dream and watching that struggle and growth as they came together was fantastic. Highly recommend this drama if you appreciate a well-written drama (it's not unique, but it is very strong!) that will take you though a beautiful human (and horse!) story with an amazing emotional journey.

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An Introduction to Japanese Horse Racing

While it is hard to brush aside the current Umamusume hype nor influence, The Royal Family stands its own for the original blend of fiction and some history of Japanese Horse Racing. It is a wholesome experience of interaction between horses and the humans surrounding them. It is true the dramatization is over the top more often than not sometimes. Almost every episode my tears flow. Thanks for their ingenuity encapsulated the story in a way only Japanese can.

Personally I don't dwell on rivalry between farms of different regions. It was made to entrench the climax that some region indeed has the knack of the better breeds. In the end those was made peace eloquently. The story relay on the view of a young accountant whose in turn becoming a manager of horse racing owner. His tenure went into two generations, perhaps this is why NF got the title on. The titular horse however is the culmination of the first owner's dream. If you can't have it at the first time, try again until you succeed. I suppose this is the message the drama tried to convey.

The acting are top notch although I would prefer some castings better with other actors/ tresses. Overall they give the vibe that this is their life and theirs are depended on it. As for the screenwriters I can't applaud enough for their brilliant lines and overturns in time.

I think the music is good, but not the theme song. Just not my taste I guess. Soundtracks however it oozes with the screen.

There is a tad below 10 score for some issues.
First, they only gave some technical racing scene if you can say that in the final episodes. Not a single one did they showed any insights in past episodes. Therefore, it is good for people in average not into horse racing but it is bad for people who know their mettle. Second, because the nature of the drama most of the screen-time was occupied by dramatization if not soap opera not the racing themselves. It would be great if they made the horses as centerpiece.

It was a excellent show nonetheless. The cinematography is beyond what usual J-drama these days. You should watch it or you won't know what you're missing. 9.5/10

PS:
The drama was made to commemorate 70th Arima Kinen in mind. 1955-2025

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The Beauty Of Horse Dance

The Royal Family. A tale of surviving through something impossible that depict into a horse racing form. The sacrifice, bettings, and facing the bunch of obstacle were immerse yourself into brutal challenge, ambition, and egoistic. In the other hand, it's a good start for deepen your knowledge of horse race.

Exploring everything about horse race. Such as horse riding, buying or auction, horse breeding, training, management, strategy, legal law, jockey, etc. Every single thing was detail yet realistic. The way they serving the explanation through a dialogue and slice of life things was indeed exact. The best experience of sportmanship, especially the legacy of horse racing theme.

I love how the main focus was clear and on point since the very first sequence, on track, and neat. Eventho, there's a slight touch of romance and dramatic life issue, but the main focus of sportmanship still dominant. It's a good manage craft, by the way.

The chemistry of Tsumabuki Satoshi and Sato Koichi was top tier, they giving its teacher-student vibes that bold. While Tsumabuki Satoshi and Meguro Ren, giving senpai-kohai vibes. Speak about the relationship between Senpai-kohai (senior-junior), japenese always masterclass at it. The dynamic, love-hate, the respective, and bortherhood were flowing natural. Oh, I love their relationship.

Kudos to Takasugi Mahiro, I don't even know whether he's really can do horse riding or did training before shoot, but he seems like a real jockey. I'm not being exaggerate, but his routines seems natural and realistic. He did a great job to maintain his role as jockey. What a genius actor, Mahiro!

Anyway. The cinematography looks simple but pretty delightful. The lighting was the best. The color grading was success to enhance the ambience. Also, I wanna give a highlight of their timelapse. I love the way they serving the best cut of timelapses. Not an awkward timelapse, instead a very thoughtful manage.

Oh also, those timelapse would be nothing without the make up of the actors. The prosthetic make up was INSANE. In span of 2 years, the difference of make up that they do was utterly detail, unbelievable. Oh gosh, also the casting of child actor who played as young-Shohei and the old-Shohei was nearly similar. How did you find that exact actor who fit the same face, honestly? I was stunned while watching it.

All in all, I highly recommending this series. The tension of sportmanship was cliff-hanging. The touch of romance of social issue was balance. Also, the horse looks pretty. Simply, one of the best dorama I've ever watched this year!

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Trama original, protagonista inexistente.

La verdad se aplaude que sea una trama bastante original, en mi vida pensé ver un drama sobre carreras de caballos y emocionarme por eso, la primera vez que la vi (carrera) era genial, ya después lo sentí un poco más monotono pero las carreras son de lo mejor del drama, eso lo reflejaron muy bien. Ver este drama no me hizo ser fan de ello pero lo suficiente bueno como para lograr ver los 10 episodios. La verdad estuvo genial el motivo de porque la serie se llama 'Royal Family'.

El reparto me encanta, puro actorazo y muy reconocido... Tsumabuki (el actor protagonista) con el paso del tiempo se convirtió en alguien que es mucho más común encontrarlo en filmes que en series de televisión y verlo aqui fue una delicia, es muy bueno peeeeeero me dio rabia que el personaje que tuvo aquí fuera tan poco memorable... me dio rabia que el personaje carece de peso en la historia, es decir, con un protagonista por obvias razones, el mundo debe girar alrededor de él en cierta forma para que nosotros empaticemos con él, debe tener fuerza... aquí tristemente se puede borrar fácilmente al personaje principal y la historia seguiría igual y eso me parece terrible... como puedes hacer a tu protagonista tan desdibujado?! El personaje es amigable y es el que hacía las conexiones ... y qué más? Entiendo que al ser el secretario pues siempre tendrá un jefe pero si la historia gira en torno a la familia, a mí me hubiera gustado más que se contará todo desde la perspectiva de ellos, no del secretario.

Dicen por ahí que va a ver temporada 2 que seguro veré por curiosidad... pero la verdad, no es que esta primera temporada sea un drama favorito mío o así.

La encuentran en netlix.

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